THE REASON FOR
RESEARCH ADVICE FOR CLINICIANS CONSIDERING A CAREER IN RESEARCH
At a time when the life-saving importance of emergency medicine has never been more widely understood, less than one percent of National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding supports research in the specialty. The COVID-19 pandemic and the widespread disinformation among the public shines a light on the need for expert, evidence-driven care in medical crises from the everyday to the epidemic—and the quality of that care depends on the strength of the research that supports it. That is why it is more urgent than ever that more clinicians make the choice to become career investigators.
Over the last three decades, we’ve seen the power of research in emergency medicine. Every time we… Use the HEART score to gauge a patient’s risk of a major cardiac event Rely on pre-hospital emergency care to preserve a patient’s best hopes for recovery Follow stroke protocol to preserve brain function when every minute counts Recognize and respond to sepsis in time to reduce mortality Prevent a suicide or save a victim of a drug overdose
we are standing on our specialty’s
…
foundation of research.
By engaging in clinical, translational, and education research, we save lives, improve outcomes for countless patients, and support our colleagues in emergency medicine who commit their careers to caring for every person, in every situation, no matter what. Our growing research base has elevated emergency medicine from an ill-defined and undervalued clinical practice to a highly valued primary board specialty. Yet we have only scratched the surface of the possibilities and demands for high-impact research in emergency medicine. Around the clock, emergency physicians are confronted with some of the most urgent research questions across all areas of medicine, from epidemic disease and gun violence to the complexities of behavioral health and an aging population. In addition to continuing clinical and translational research, operational, implementation, and educational research help improve care delivery and train the next generation of emergency medicine physicians and providers. As an emergency medicine researcher, you will join a prestigious network of scientists dedicated to solving the most complex problems in acute patient care. You will be saving lives and sustaining healthy generations in our local communities and around the world.
Reason for Research “Being a clinician-investigator is a way to continue to care for patients at the bedside while tackling our specialty’s toughest problems.” - Corita Grudzen, MD Vice Chair Research, New York University
Bernard Chang, MD, PhD Vice Chair of Research, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, Columbia University Medical Center
Emergency Medicine sits at the intersection of so many different medical conditions and diseases, yet it also offers the unique scientific angle of being able to view a disease state in a critical time window that could be amenable to potential targeted interventions, be it some medication, surgical procedure or social intervention. I genuinely am thrilled and excited every time I come onto a clinical shift as it offers both a change of pace from research as well as a chance for me to reflect on the efforts that our research group is doing for our patients. I’ve been fortunate and lucky to have had some funding for my research, which has allowed me to have two careers of sorts: one where I wear the hat as a scientist and the other hat as a clinician/administrator. I think my work in research frames some of the clinical shift work and demands in the ED setting.
Top 3 Pros of an EM Research Career
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2. 3.
perpetual sense of career development. Throughout your professional lifespan, you’ll A continue to grow and evolve...from mentee to mentor. This occurs in the clinical domain of course, but with research, this ability to pay it forward to share your knowledge with others goes beyond a single mentee to the whole academic community. peaking of community: your professional network in research is just incredible. You meet S colleagues in your research area from all walks of the field, both in EM and outside. As you develop, you begin to foster all sorts of new and exciting connections. The camaraderie and friendship that I have made across the research community has been key to my professional well-being. W ork-life balance. Like clinical care, research is all not roses and good times. There are many extraordinarily challenging situations from the logistics of human subjects care to regulatory stuff, etc. Research can be stressful, but it can also be a great complement to your work as a clinician. As a funded investigator you will not work as many clinical shifts as your full time clinical colleagues.
What Is a Career in Research? A career with a focus on research in emergency medicine (EM) is a rigorous but thrilling career path. Career opportunities for academic researchers include clinicianinvestigator positions in emergency departments (EDs) in addition to administrative and operational roles, helping to create and provide the department infrastructure crucial to successful research in academic EM. A research career provides intellectual stimulation, variety, and autonomy, with the potential to impact many areas of acute care, including hospital operations. One motivator is the possibility of discovering new treatments that may be linked to improvements in patient care.
My Research Career Path Paul I Musey, Jr., MD, MS Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine, Director of Research
I’m originally from Atlanta, Georgia and received my BS in Chemistry from Georgia State University in 2005 and graduated from Emory University School of Medicine in 2009. I subsequently completed an Emergency Medicine residency at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, NC in 2012 where I stayed on as faculty until I took a faculty position at Indiana University School of Medicine in 2014. At IU I went on to complete an Emergency Medicine research fellowship and earned a Masters in Clinical Research. My current research interests revolve around the evaluation and management of psychological contributors to common Emergency Department (ED) complaints, particularly low risk chest pain and I have a special passion for mentoring learners (particularly undergraduate and medical students). I am currently PI or site-PI for a number of ED clinical studies and recently became the Director of Research for the Dept. of EM at Indiana University.
Reason for Research “A path of research in emergency medicine keeps your career interesting, fulfilling and impactful. Anyone who is curious and likes to be meticulous and dedicated is a good fit for a career in research.” - Amy Kaji, MD, PhD Vice Chair Academic Affairs, Department of Emergency Medicine, Harbor-UCLA Medical Center SAEM 2021-2022 President
Why Choose an Academic Research Path in EM? The benefits of a career in academic research medicine are numerous: I ntangible pleasure of being able to create new knowledge and focus on stuff you personally find interesting Rewarding to receive funding and support for research on topics important to you — make an impact on EM and patients Opportunity to constantly learn new things Intellectual and personal freedom Chance to help those who are suffering in a different way than clinical practice Reduce stress and chances of burnout with less hours of clinical practice Development of a lifelong toolkit that will allow you to approach many of the most challenging questions in acute care medicine in a methodological and creative way Mentorship • Helps you develop personally and helps you avoid pitfalls that can increase stumbles • Network beyond your local institution
Academic development opportunities • Mentoring and working with junior investigators and medical trainees • Interacting with individuals from all levels of the health care space who may be impacted by your work • Research can be done across multiple levels of analysis: looking at pathology of disease at cellular level to examining broad psychosocial factors leading to homelessness; so on
Reason for Research “The opportunity to seek new ways to decrease morbidity and mortality for acute illness is an honor. Pros include the joy involved in working on cutting-edge change, the ability to add a different dimension to a career, the enjoyment of collaborating with other researchers across the world and across specialties.” - Joseph Miller, MD Program Director, Emergency Medicine and Internal Medicine program and Combined Emergency Medicine Internal Medicine and Critical Care program, Henry Ford Hospital
Pathway to a Career in Research he pathways to research are not one-size-fits-all, however, training in T research is critical to a successful academic career. The RAMS Roadmap To Research provides guidance to fellows, residents, and medical students preparing for a career in emergency medicine research. If you are planning to take a less traditional path to your research career, finding a mentor to help you navigate your journey will be top priority.
Research Career Pathway: Medical Student – planning & networking Junior Resident – developing clinical skills & exploring opportunities Senior Resident – continuing research involvement & planning for post-residency Fellow – training & formal coursework in methods, study design & statistical analysis Background – basic overview of a career in research, challenges, and mentorship Resources – links to articles and medical journals Insider Advice – why several researches chose a research career
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Where to Begin SAEM and SAEM Foundation provide a wealth of resources to help you along your research
Reason for Research “You cannot be successful at anything in life without the requisite skill set. You trained to earn the privilege of treating patients. You trained to learn how to apply your emergency care skills to anyone with any disease who rolls through your ED door. What makes you think you can learn to do research without being trained? Even more than that, why would anyone give you the time or money when you yourself have not shown that you are willing to take the time (and maybe sacrifice the money) to learn how to do it right. Find a mentor, learn the skills required, and then an employer or funding agency is much more likely to see the value you bring to the table. You might get lucky without training, but odds are against you.”
- Judd Hollander, MD Associate Dean for Strategic Health Initiatives, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Department of Emergency Medicine
journey. Here are just a few of the places you can begin.
Academic Career Guide
2019
Planning & Advice RAMS Roadmap To Research
e-brochure
Step-by-step guide to advancing your research career from medical school through fellowship
The Academic Roadmap: How to Get Where You Want to Go
Panel Discussion
Career advice from successful academicians
SAEM Academic Career Guide
e-brochure
Everything you need to know about academic emergency medicine careers
RAMS Biosketch Podcast series
Podcasts
Interviews with emergency medicine researchers
Is Fellowship Right For You?
Panel Discussion
Advice from mentors across the specialty
Education & Training Advanced Research Methodology Evaluation and Design (ARMED)
ARMED MedEd
Course
The purpose of this course is to arm participants with the fundamental knowledge and skills to design a high quality research project and grant proposal to jumpstart their research career.
Course
This course builds upon the fundamental knowledge and skills of health professions education researchers and equips them to design a high-quality medical education research project and grant proposal.
Research Learning Series
Podcasts
In keeping with SAEM’s mission to provide highquality research and educational innovation in emergency care, SAEM is hosting a high-yield, interactive Research Learning Series for novice and mid-career researchers in emergency medicine. These monthly 60-minute sessions feature valuable research content delivered by experts in the field of emergency research.
SAEM Research Resources
Website
List of resources to help you with study design, implementation, evaluation, and dissemination.
SAEM Research Guide: Did You Know?
e-brochure
SAEM provides research resources to help you through every stage of your research career. From planning and design, to implementation and dissemination, you can find it all at SAEM.
Together with SAEM, the SAEM Foundation has awarded over $9 million to more than 400 academicians.
For every $1 donated to SAEMF, more than $3 in subsequent federal funding is generated for emergency medicine research.
$9M 400 academicians
$
1
donation to SAEMF
3
$
federal funding
Invest in the most promising educators and researchers in emergency medicine.
Learn how SAEM Foundation continues to build career investigators to fund the future.